May 19
Events
Pre-1600
- 639 - Ashina Jiesheshuai and his tribesmen assaulted Emperor Taizong at Jiucheng Palace.
- 715 - Pope Gregory II is elected.
- 934 - The Byzantine Empire reconquers Melitene under the leadership of John Kourkouas.
- 1051 - Henry I of France marries the Rus' princess, Anne of Kiev.
- 1445 - John II of Castile defeats the Infantes of Aragon at the First Battle of Olmedo.
- 1499 - Catherine of Aragon is married by proxy to Arthur, Prince of Wales. Catherine is 13 and Arthur is 12.
- 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships, 110 men, and Chief Donnacona's two sons.
- 1536 - Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII of England, is beheaded for adultery, treason, and incest.
- 1542 - The Prome Kingdom falls to the Taungoo Dynasty in present-day Myanmar.
1601–1900
- 1643 - Thirty Years' War: French forces under the duc d'Enghien decisively defeat Spanish forces at the Battle of Rocroi, marking the symbolic end of Spain as a dominant land power.
- 1649 - An Act of Parliament declaring England a Commonwealth is passed by the Long Parliament. England would be a republic for the next eleven years.
- 1655 - The Invasion of Jamaica begins during the Anglo-Spanish War.
- 1743 - Jean-Pierre Christin developed the centigrade temperature scale.
- 1749 - King George II of Great Britain grants the Ohio Company a charter of land around the forks of the Ohio River.
- 1776 - American Revolutionary War: A Continental Army garrison surrenders in the Battle of The Cedars.
- 1780 - New England's Dark Day, an unusual darkening of the day sky, was observed over the New England states and parts of Canada.
- 1802 - Napoleon Bonaparte founds the Legion of Honour.
- 1828 - U.S. President John Quincy Adams signs the Tariff of 1828 into law, sparking outrage in the South and leading to the Nullification crisis.
- 1845 - Captain Sir John Franklin and his ill-fated Arctic expedition depart from Greenhithe, England.
- 1848 - Mexican–American War: Mexico ratifies the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo thus ending the war and ceding California, Nevada, Utah and parts of four other modern-day U.S. states to the United States for US$15 million.
- 1883 - Buffalo Bill's first Buffalo Bill's Wild West opens in Omaha, Nebraska.
- 1900 - Great Britain annexes Tonga Island.
- 1900 - Second Boer War: British troops relieve Mafeking.
1901–present
- 1911 - Parks Canada, the world's first national park service, is established as the Dominion Parks Branch under the Department of the Interior.
- 1917 - The Norwegian football club Rosenborg BK is founded.
- 1919 - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lands at Samsun on the Anatolian Black Sea coast, initiating what is later termed the Turkish War of Independence.
- 1921 - The United States Congress passes the Emergency Quota Act establishing national quotas on immigration.
- 1922 - The Young Pioneer Organization of the Soviet Union is established.
- 1933 - Finnish cavalry general C. G. E. Mannerheim is appointed the field marshal.
- 1934 - Zveno and the Bulgarian Army engineer a coup d'état and install Kimon Georgiev as the new Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
- 1942 - World War II: In the aftermath of the Battle of the Coral Sea, Task Force 16 heads to Pearl Harbor for repairs.
- 1943 - Winston Churchill's second wartime address to the U.S. Congress
- 1945 - Syrian demonstrators in Damascus are fired upon by French troops injuring twelve, leading to the Levant Crisis.
- 1950 - A barge containing munitions destined for Pakistan explodes in the harbor at South Amboy, New Jersey, devastating the city.
- 1950 - Egypt announces that the Suez Canal is closed to Israeli ships and commerce.
- 1959 - The North Vietnamese Army establishes Group 559, whose responsibility is to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam; the resulting route is the Ho Chi Minh trail.
- 1961 - Venera program: Venera 1 becomes the first man-made object to fly by another planet by passing Venus.
- 1961 - At Silchar Railway Station, Assam, 11 Bengalis die when police open fire on protesters demanding state recognition of Bengali language in the Bengali Language Movement.
- 1962 - A birthday salute to U.S. President John F. Kennedy takes place at Madison Square Garden, New York City. The highlight is Marilyn Monroe's rendition of "Happy Birthday".
- 1963 - The New York Post Sunday Magazine publishes Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail.
- 1971 - Mars probe program: Mars 2 is launched by the Soviet Union.
- 1986 - The Firearm Owners Protection Act is signed into law by U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
- 1991 - Croatians vote for independence in a referendum.
- 1993 - SAM Colombia Flight 501 crashes on approach to José María Córdova International Airport in Medellín, Colombia, killing 132.
- 1996 - Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on mission STS-77.
- 1997 - The Sierra Gorda biosphere, the most ecologically diverse region in Mexico, is established as a result of grassroots efforts.
- 2000 - Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on mission STS-101 to resupply the International Space Station.
- 2007 - President of Romania Traian Băsescu survives an impeachment referendum and returns to office from suspension.
- 2010 - The Royal Thai Armed Forces concludes its crackdown on protests by forcing the surrender of United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship leaders.
- 2012 - Three gas cylinder bombs explode in front of a vocational school in the Italian city of Brindisi, killing one person and injuring five others.
- 2012 - A car bomb explodes near a military complex in the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, killing nine people.
- 2015 - The Refugio oil spill deposited 142,800 U.S. gallons of crude oil onto an area in California considered one of the most biologically diverse coastlines of the west coast.
- 2016 - EgyptAir Flight 804 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea while traveling from Paris to Cairo, killing all on board.
- 2018 - The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is held at St George's Chapel, Windsor, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion.
- 2024 - A helicopter crash in Iran leaves 8 people dead, including the country's president Ebrahim Raisi & foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Births
Pre-1600
- 1400 - John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton, English soldier and politician
- 1462 - Baccio D'Agnolo, Italian woodcarver, sculptor and architect
- 1476 - Helena of Moscow, Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania and Queen consort of Poland
- 1593 - Claude Vignon, French painter
1601–1900
- 1616 - Johann Jakob Froberger, German organist and composer
- 1639 - Charles Weston, 3rd Earl of Portland, English soldier and noble
- 1700 - José de Escandón, 1st Count of Sierra Gorda, Spanish sergeant and politician
- 1724 - Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, English admiral and politician, Chief Secretary for Ireland
- 1744 - Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, German-born Queen to George III of the United Kingdom
- 1762 - Johann Gottlieb Fichte, German philosopher and academic
- 1773 - Arthur Aikin, English chemist and mineralogist
- 1795 - Johns Hopkins, American businessman and philanthropist
- 1827 - Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour, French academic and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1832 - James Watney, Jr., English politician, brewer and cricketer
- 1857 - John Jacob Abel, American biochemist and pharmacologist
- 1861 - Nellie Melba, Australian soprano and actress
- 1871 - Walter Russell, American painter, sculptor, and author
- 1874 - Gilbert Jessop, English cricketer and soldier
- 1878 - Alfred Laliberté, Canadian sculptor and painter
- 1879 - Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, American-English politician
- 1880 - Albert Richardson, English architect and educator, designed the Manchester Opera House
- 1881 - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkish field marshal and statesman, 1st President of Turkey
- 1884 - David Munson, American runner
- 1886 - Francis Biddle, American lawyer and judge, 58th United States Attorney General
- 1887 - Ion Jalea, Romanian soldier and sculptor
- 1889 - Tản Đà, Vietnamese poet and author
- 1889 - Henry B. Richardson, American archer
- 1890 - Eveline Adelheid von Maydell, German-American illustrator
- 1890 - Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese politician, 1st President of Vietnam
- 1891 - Oswald Boelcke, German captain and pilot
- 1893 - H. Bonciu, Romanian author, poet, and journalist
- 1897 - Frank Luke, American lieutenant and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient
- 1898 - Julius Evola, Italian philosopher and painter
- 1899 - Lothar Rădăceanu, Romanian journalist, linguist, and politician
1901–present
- 1902 - Lubka Kolessa, Ukrainian-Canadian pianist and educator
- 1903 - Ruth Ella Moore, American scientist
- 1904 - Sven Thofelt, Swedish modern pentathlete and épée fencer
- 1906 - Bruce Bennett, American shot putter and actor
- 1908 - Manik Bandopadhyay, Indian author, poet, and playwright
- 1908 - Merriam Modell, American author
- 1908 - Percy Williams, Canadian sprinter
- 1909 - Nicholas Winton, English banker and humanitarian
- 1910 - Alan Melville, South African cricketer
- 1913 - Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th President of India
- 1914 - Max Perutz, Austrian-English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1914 - Alex Shibicky, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1914 - John Vachon, American photographer and journalist
- 1915 - Renée Asherson, English actress
- 1918 - Abraham Pais, Dutch-American physicist, historian, and academic
- 1919 - Georgie Auld, Canadian-American saxophonist, clarinet player, and bandleader
- 1919 - Mitja Ribičič, Italian-Slovenian soldier and politician, 25th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia
- 1920 - Tina Strobos, Dutch psychiatrist known for rescuing Jews during World War II
- 1921 - Leslie Broderick, English lieutenant and pilot
- 1921 - Harry W. Brown, American colonel and pilot
- 1921 - Daniel Gélin, French actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1921 - Yuri Kochiyama, American activist
- 1921 - Karel van het Reve, Dutch historian and author
- 1922 - Arthur Gorrie, Australian hobby shop proprietor
- 1924 - Sandy Wilson, English composer and songwriter
- 1925 - Pol Pot, Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia
- 1925 - Malcolm X, American minister and activist
- 1926 - Edward Parkes, English engineer and academic
- 1926 - Peter Zadek, German director and screenwriter
- 1927 - Serge Lang, French-American mathematician, author and academic
- 1928 - Colin Chapman, English engineer and businessman, founded Lotus Cars
- 1928 - Thomas Kennedy, English air marshal
- 1928 - Gil McDougald, American baseball player and coach
- 1928 - Dolph Schayes, American basketball player and coach
- 1929 - Helmut Braunlich, German-American violinist and composer
- 1929 - Richard Larter, Australian painter
- 1929 - John Stroger, American politician
- 1930 - Eugene Genovese, American historian and author
- 1930 - Lorraine Hansberry, American playwright and director
- 1931 - Bob Anderson, English race car driver
- 1931 - Trevor Peacock, English actor, screenwriter and songwriter
- 1932 - Alma Cogan, English singer
- 1932 - Paul Erdman, American economist and author
- 1932 - Bill Fitch, American basketball player and coach
- 1932 - Elena Poniatowska, Mexican intellectual and journalist
- 1933 - Edward de Bono, Maltese physician, author, and academic
- 1934 - Ruskin Bond, Indian author and poet
- 1934 - Jim Lehrer, American journalist and author
- 1935 - David Hartman, American journalist and television personality
- 1937 - Pat Roach, English wrestler
- 1938 - Moisés da Costa Amaral, East Timorese politician
- 1938 - Herbie Flowers, English musician
- 1938 - Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, Ukrainian long jumper and coach
- 1939 - Livio Berruti, Italian sprinter
- 1939 - James Fox, English actor
- 1939 - Nancy Kwan, Hong Kong-American actress and makeup artist
- 1939 - Jānis Lūsis, Latvian javelin thrower and coach
- 1939 - Dick Scobee, American pilot, and astronaut
- 1940 - Jan Janssen, Dutch cyclist
- 1940 - Mickey Newbury, American country/pop singer-songwriter
- 1941 - Nora Ephron, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1941 - Igor Judge, Baron Judge, Maltese-English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
- 1942 - Gary Kildall, American computer scientist, founded Digital Research Inc.
- 1942 - Robert Kilroy-Silk, English television host and politician
- 1943 - Eddie May, English footballer and manager
- 1943 - Shirrel Rhoades, American author, publisher, and academic
- 1944 - Peter Mayhew, English-American actor
- 1945 - Pete Townshend, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1946 - Claude Lelièvre, Belgian activist
- 1946 - Michele Placido, Italian actor and director
- 1946 - André the Giant, French-American wrestler and actor
- 1947 - Paul Brady, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1947 - Christopher Chope, English lawyer and politician
- 1947 - David Helfgott, Australian pianist
- 1948 - Grace Jones, Jamaican-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
- 1949 - Dusty Hill, American singer-songwriter and bass player
- 1949 - Philip Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath, English politician
- 1949 - Archie Manning, American football player
- 1950 - Tadeusz Ślusarski, Polish pole vaulter
- 1951 - Joey Ramone, American singer-songwriter
- 1951 - Dick Slater, American wrestler
- 1952 - Charlie Spedding, English runner
- 1952 - Bert van Marwijk, Dutch footballer, coach, and manager
- 1953 - Patrick Hodge, Lord Hodge, Scottish lawyer and judge
- 1953 - Shavarsh Karapetyan, Armenian finswimmer
- 1953 - Florin Marin, Romanian footballer and manager
- 1953 - Victoria Wood, English actress, singer, director, and screenwriter
- 1954 - Rick Cerone, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1954 - Lena Einhorn, Swedish director, writer and physician
- 1954 - Hōchū Ōtsuka, Japanese voice actor
- 1954 - Phil Rudd, Australian-New Zealand drummer
- 1955 - James Gosling, Canadian-American computer scientist, created Java
- 1956 - Oliver Letwin, English philosopher and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- 1956 - Martyn Ware, English keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
- 1957 - Bill Laimbeer, American basketball player and coach
- 1957 - James Reyne, Nigerian-Australian singer-songwriter
- 1961 - Vadim Cojocaru, Moldovan politician
- 1961 - Gregory Poirier, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1961 - Wayne Van Dorp, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1963 - Filippo Galli, Italian footballer and manager
- 1964 - Peter Jackson, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
- 1964 - John Lee, South Korean-American football player
- 1964 - Miloslav Mečíř, Slovak tennis player
- 1965 - Maile Flanagan, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
- 1966 - Marc Bureau, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
- 1966 - Jodi Picoult, American author and educator
- 1966 - Polly Walker, English actress
- 1967 - Alexia, Italian singer
- 1967 - Geraldine Somerville, Irish-born English actress
- 1968 - Kyle Eastwood, American actor and bass player
- 1970 - Stuart Cable, Welsh drummer
- 1970 - K. J. Choi, South Korean golfer
- 1970 - Regina Narva, Estonian chess player
- 1970 - Nia Zulkarnaen, Indonesian actress, singer and producer
- 1971 - Ross Katz, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1971 - Andres Salumets, Estonian biologist, biochemist, and educator
- 1972 - Jenny Berggren, Swedish singer-songwriter
- 1972 - Claudia Karvan, Australian actress, producer, and screenwriter
- 1973 - Dario Franchitti, Scottish race car driver
- 1974 - Andrew Johns, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1974 - Emma Shapplin, French soprano
- 1974 - Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indian actor
- 1975 - Pretinha, Brazilian footballer
- 1975 - London Fletcher, American football player
- 1975 - Josh Paul, American baseball player and manager
- 1975 - Jonas Renkse, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1976 - Ed Cota, American basketball player
- 1976 - Kevin Garnett, American basketball player
- 1977 - Manuel Almunia, Spanish footballer
- 1977 - Wouter Hamel, Dutch singer and guitarist
- 1977 - Brandon Inge, American baseball player
- 1977 - Natalia Oreiro, Uruguayan singer-songwriter and actress
- 1978 - Marcus Bent, English footballer
- 1978 - Dave Bus, Dutch footballer
- 1979 - Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
- 1979 - Diego Forlán, Uruguayan footballer
- 1979 - Shooter Jennings, American country singer, songwriter
- 1980 - Tony Hackworth, English footballer
- 1981 - Luciano Figueroa, Argentinian footballer
- 1981 - Yo Gotti, American rapper
- 1981 - Michael Leighton, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1981 - Sina Schielke, German sprinter
- 1981 - Klaas-Erik Zwering, Dutch swimmer
- 1982 - Kevin Amankwaah, English footballer
- 1982 - Pål Steffen Andresen, Norwegian footballer
- 1982 - Klaas Vantornout, Belgian cyclist
- 1983 - Michael Che, American comedian
- 1983 - Jessica Fox, English actress
- 1984 - Marcedes Lewis, American football player
- 1985 - Malakai Black, Dutch professional wrestler
- 1986 - Mario Chalmers, American basketball player
- 1987 - Michael Angelakos, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1987 - David Edgar, Canadian soccer player
- 1987 - Mariano Torres, Argentinian footballer
- 1991 - Jordan Pruitt, American singer-songwriter
- 1992 - Michele Camporese, Italian footballer
- 1992 - Ola John, Dutch footballer
- 1992 - Felise Kaufusi, New Zealand-Tongan rugby league player
- 1992 - Evgeny Kuznetsov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1992 - Marshmello, American electronic music producer and DJ
- 1992 - Sam Smith, English singer-songwriter
- 1992 - Heather Watson, British tennis player
- 1992 - Lainey Wilson, American singer-songwriter
- 1994 - Carlos Guzmán, Mexican footballer
- 1995 - Taane Milne, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1996 - Michael Carcone, Canadian ice hockey player
- 2001 - Elizabeth Mandlik, American tennis player
- 2002 - Riccardo Calafiori, Italian footballer
- 2002 - Rafa Marín, Spanish footballer
- 2003 - Jojo Siwa, American dancer, singer, actress, and YouTube personality